Dog, cat die in house fire

Firefighters and emergency medical services personnel try unsuccessfully to revive a dog found after a house fire in the 32000 block of Harts Road, south of Lewes and west of Rehoboth Beach. A cat also died, fire officials said.(Photo11: CHUCK SNYDER/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)Buy Photo

A house fire Tuesday near Love Creek in Sussex County killed a dog and cat, despite rescuers’ attempts to resuscitate the pets, state fire officials said.

The fire, reported at 11:47 a.m. in the 32000 block of Harts Road off John J. Williams Highway (Del. 24), was caused by a child playing with a lighter, said Harry R. Miller, chief deputy state fire marshal.

Crews from Lewes Fire Department – assisted by the Rehoboth Beach Fire Company – arrived to find smoke showing from the home, south of Lewes and west of Rehoboth Bay.

Occupants, alerted by working smoke detectors, left the home safely before they arrived, Miller said.

Firefighters controlled the blaze in about 11/2 hours, he said, and the pets later were found inside the house.

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.

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Fire and smoke damage was moderate from a Tuesday house fire in the 32000 block of Harts Road, south of Lewes and west of Rehoboth Beach, according to state fire officials, who said a child playing with a cigarette lighter started the fire in the living room.(Photo11: CHUCK SNYDER/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)